# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Madison: the parent guide

> Madison is a relaxed city for little kids: a big children’s museum on the Capitol Square, a free zoo, a free campus geology museum with a mastodon and gardens and parks between the lakes.

- Last checked: 2026-10-18
- 12 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/madison/guide/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/madison/index.md
- Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/madison/visiting/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/madison/llms.txt

## Kid-friendly restaurants

### Monty’s Blue Plate Diner (Schenk-Atwood, 2089 Atwood Ave.)

- A neighborhood diner and bakery with breakfast all day, plus sandwiches, soups and salads. There’s an attached parking lot.
- Price level: $$
- Menu prices: kids’ meals $5.49–$6.99
- Hours: Daily 7:30am–9pm
- Good for: All-day breakfast with kids’ meals at $5.49–$6.99 and its own parking lot.
- Skip if: you’re in a hurry at weekend brunch.
- Price source: https://www.montysblueplatediner.com/menus (checked 2026-10-18)
- Website: https://www.montysblueplatediner.com/

### Ian’s Pizza (Madison and Verona)

- Pizza by the slice, home of the mac ’n’ cheese pizza, which is easy to split with picky eaters.
- Price level: $
- Good for: A mac ’n’ cheese slice that picky eaters will split.
- Skip if: you want a seated meal; it’s pizza by the slice.
- Website: https://www.ianspizza.com/

### Babcock Dairy Store (UW–Madison campus)

- UW’s own dairy store, using the same ice cream recipe since 1951, with about 20 flavors on hand. Cash isn’t accepted.
- Price level: $
- Hours: Sat 11am–4pm
- Good for: UW’s own ice cream on a Saturday.
- Skip if: you only have cash; it isn’t accepted.
- Website: https://babcockdairystore.wisc.edu/

## Indoor play and rainy days

### Madison Children’s Museum (Capitol Square)

- A big hands-on children’s museum downtown.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids $18; adults $18; Under 1 free. At the door; 10% off in advance. Free Thursday evenings, 4–8pm
- Hours: Wed–Sun 9am–4pm (school year)
- Good for: Toddler-height play on the Square; under 1 is free, and Thursday evenings are free.
- Skip if: it’s Monday or Tuesday during the school year, when it’s closed.
- Price source: https://madisonchildrensmuseum.org/visit/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- Website: https://madisonchildrensmuseum.org/

### Wisconsin State Capitol (Capitol Square)

- Free guided tours cover the building’s history, art and architecture. Groups under 10 just show up at tour time in the Rotunda.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free tour; small groups just show up.
- Skip if: your toddler can’t handle a guided tour.
- Website: https://capitoltours.wi.gov/

### Central Library (Downtown, 201 W. Mifflin St.)

- Madison Public Library’s downtown branch, a block off the Capitol Square. Free kids’ programs are on the library calendar.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free kids’ program a block from the Children’s Museum.
- Skip if: you need open space; the Square or Elver Park works better.
- Website: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/

### UW Geology Museum (UW–Madison campus, 1215 W. Dayton St.)

- A free campus museum where kids can stand under a mastodon’s tusks and see dinosaurs, glowing minerals and a model of a Wisconsin cave.
- Price level: Free
- Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30am–4:30pm; Sat 9am–1pm; closed Sun
- Good for: Mastodon tusks and glowing minerals, free.
- Skip if: it’s Sunday, when it’s closed, or Saturday afternoon.
- Price source: https://museum.geoscience.wisc.edu/visit/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- Website: https://museum.geoscience.wisc.edu/

## Parks and outdoor play

### UW–Madison Arboretum (Near west side)

- Prairies, woods, gardens and more than 17 miles of trails, free to visit.
- Price level: Free
- Hours: Grounds 4am–10pm; Visitor Center weekends 12:30–4pm
- Good for: A free, short loop near the Visitor Center.
- Skip if: you were hoping for the visitor center on a weekday; it’s open weekend afternoons.
- Website: https://arboretum.wisc.edu/

### Olbrich Botanical Gardens (East side)

- Botanical gardens whose outdoor gardens are free to walk year-round. The tropical Bolz Conservatory costs extra.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: Free outdoor gardens year-round.
- Skip if: you expect the conservatory to be free; it costs extra.
- Website: https://www.olbrich.org/

### Elver Park (Southwest side, 1250 McKenna Blvd.)

- Madison’s largest community park, with 250 acres, an accessible playground, a free splash park in summer and sledding in winter.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free accessible playground and summer splash park.
- Skip if: it’s too cold for the splash park and too warm for sledding.
- Website: https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/find-a-park/elver

## Museums, zoos and big outings

### Henry Vilas Zoo (Vilas Park)

- Madison’s free zoo since 1911, open every day.
- Price level: Free
- Hours: Daily 9:30am–5pm
- Good for: A free zoo with free parking you can leave any time.
- Skip if: you want a large zoo with rides; it’s a small, free city zoo.
- Website: https://www.henryvilaszoo.gov/

## Staycations and overnight trips

### Devil’s Lake State Park (Baraboo (about 1 hour))

- Wisconsin’s largest state park, with tall quartzite bluffs over a lake, sandy beaches and a year-round campground.
- Price level: $
- Good for: Beaches and bluffs about an hour away.
- Skip if: you’re pushing a stroller up the bluff trails.
- Website: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/devilslake

## Free things to do

- Wisconsin State Capitol
- Central Library
- UW Geology Museum
- UW–Madison Arboretum
- Olbrich Botanical Gardens
- Elver Park
- Henry Vilas Zoo

## Best for under 3s

- **Madison Children’s Museum**: Babies under 1 are free, and there’s lots at toddler height.
- **UW Geology Museum**: Mastodon tusks and glowing rocks hold little ones’ attention.
- **Central Library**: Free kids’ programs for little ones.

## With a baby or a 1-year-old

### Baby and lap-sit storytimes

- **Itsy Bitsy Lapsit Storytime** (Sun Prairie Public Library): Mondays at 10am and 11:15am · Sun Prairie Public Library. Itsy Bitsy Lapsit When: Mondays at 10:00 or 11:15 a.m. https://sunprairie.librarymarket.com/events/upcoming
- **Baby & Toddler Storytime** (Monona Public Library): Tuesdays at 10am · Monona Public Library. Birth to 2 years. A lap-sit storytime for our youngest patrons (ages 0-2 years old) and their caregivers. https://monona.librarycalendar.com/events/upcoming

### Babies get in free

- **Madison Children’s Museum**: Under 1 free. https://madisonchildrensmuseum.org/visit/

### Stroller notes

- **Henry Vilas Zoo**: From spring through fall, rent strollers for $10 at the gift shop by the main entrance on Drake St.

## Library storytimes

- **Madison Public Library**: Weekly; days and times vary by branch. Free storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers at Central Library and the neighborhood branches. https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/
- **Sun Prairie Public Library**: Weekly at the Sun Prairie Public Library; Monday–Thursday, plus evening sessions. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Itsy Bitsy Lapsit Storytime (Mondays 10am) and Cuentos Infantiles (Spanish Storytime) (Wednesdays 5pm). https://sunprairie.librarymarket.com/events/upcoming
- **Monona Public Library**: Weekly at the Monona Public Library; Tuesdays. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Baby & Toddler Storytime (Tuesdays 10am) and Toddler Playtime (Tuesdays 10:30am). https://monona.librarycalendar.com/events/upcoming


## Happening this week

- **Kids in the Rotunda: A Year with Frog & Toad** (Sat 9:30am, 11am & 1pm) at Overture Center – Rotunda Stage. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/madison/#e-kids_in_the_rotunda_a_year_with_frog_toa
- **Bat Fest at Owen Conservation Park** (Sat 1–4pm) at Owen Conservation Park. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/madison/#e-bat_fest_at_owen_conservation_park
- **Fall Festival at Eugster’s Farm Market** (Sat & Sun 10am–5pm) at Eugster’s Farm Market. $12.50–$14.50 per person online by entry time; 1 and under free. https://littlesweekly.com/madison/#e-fall_festival_at_eugsters_farm_market
- **LEGO Takeover! (Pinney Library)** (Sat 11am–3pm) at Pinney Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/madison/#e-lego_takeover_pinney_library
- **Stories & Songs with Junebug (Pinney Library)** (Sat 10:30–11am) at Pinney Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/madison/#e-stories_songs_with_junebug_pinney_librar

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/madison/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in Madison: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/madison/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Madison for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/madison/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is the Henry Vilas Zoo really free?
Yes. Admission and parking are both free. The lots have a three-hour limit and fill on busy weekends.

### What’s free to do with little kids in Madison?
Henry Vilas Zoo, the UW Geology Museum, the Capitol tours, Olbrich’s outdoor gardens, the Arboretum and Elver Park are all free. The Children’s Museum is free on Thursday evenings.

### What can we do in Madison with a toddler when it’s cold?
The Children’s Museum, the Geology Museum, the Capitol and Central Library are all indoors, and the Zoo has heated buildings.

### What’s good for babies and kids under 3 in Madison?
Madison Children’s Museum: Babies under 1 are free, and there’s lots at toddler height. UW Geology Museum: Mastodon tusks and glowing rocks hold little ones’ attention. Central Library is also easy with a baby or toddler. See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/madison/guide/#under3).

### Where are the free storytimes in Madison?
Madison Public Library: Weekly; days and times vary by branch. Sun Prairie Public Library: Weekly at the Sun Prairie Public Library; Monday–Thursday, plus evening sessions. Monona Public Library: Weekly at the Monona Public Library; Tuesdays. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/madison/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [Madison weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/madison/).

### How do you choose the places in the Madison guide?
Every one of the 12 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 3 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 18, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).

### How much is the Madison Children’s Museum for a toddler, and who gets in free?
Under 1 free; kids: $18; adults: $18 (at the door; 10% off in advance. Free Thursday evenings, 4–8pm). We checked this on [its official site](https://madisonchildrensmuseum.org/visit/) on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.